Safe Choice, Right Choice
by Selaina Faluns
Summary: After the events in Spain, Ashley Graham struggles to find her way back into her old life. When she has finally had enough of her nightmares, she calls her bodyguard, Leon Kennedy to chase them away. Leon also has his own struggle...AshleyxLeon R
1. Chapter 1

Resident Evil Four LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon Ashley Right Choice]

Part One-Aftermath

It was two thirty in the morning in Washington D.C., the household at sixteen hundred was locked down for the night, things on the outside looked peaceful...Inside on the other hand was not.

A young woman, no older than twenty, tossed and turned in her queen sized bed. Her face contorted tightly in anxiety as she dreamt of unfathomable horror, she muttered.  
"Please help me Leon..."

She tried to run, to hide, but they kept on hunting her with an insatiable bloodlust. Her world and everything in it, was warped and twisted into something that was pure evil. For Ashley Graham, couldn't leave the horror behind.

She tried to forget, tried so hard, but the nightmares returned with a vengeance almost every night. Ashley's eyes snapped open as she let out a tight and small yell she quickly reached over to grab her phone, Ashley dailed his number...

On the other side of town, a man in his late twenties stirred in his sleep as his phne rang for the umpteenth time, he growled and finally picked the phone up.  
"Leon here, what do you want?!" Leon asked with no attempt to sound polite or cheerful.

"Leon...I'm scared..."  
It took no more than a few seconds for Leon to figure out that it was Ashley on the other line, he sat up on his bed and listened to her constricted sobs.

"Ash...Calm down, it was just a dream." Leon said in a soft, comforting manner. No, it wasn't a dream, it was an archive of misery that nothing could erase.

"Leon, I need to see you. I want to talk to you face to face, I need you with me!" Ashley responded through her sobs.  
"Alright, I'll visit first thing in the morning." Leon replied, he combed his hair with his hands.

"Could...Could you possibly come to see me tonight? I know it's late, but you're the only one who knows what I'm going through." Ashley pleaded, Leon rubbed his forehead and cleared his throat.

Leon looked at his alarm clock, it was late and the White House was locked down for the night, but he the amount of sheer panic in Ashley's sobs. Leon reached for his car keys and his clothes.

Alright...I'm on my way over, but how am I going to get in?" Leon asked her.  
"I'll tell...The security guards to let you in." Ashley reassured him, Leon sighed and said goodbye over the phone. He was going to need two things, a box of tissues and some coffee, and lots of it.

Leon drove along the desolate streets, it was a little unnerving to see everything so still and quiet. Leon couldn't get Ashley's painful sobs out of his head, he went through the same experience after the the nightmare in Raccoon City.

The horrific events that transpired in Spain would've driven anyone into a catatonic state of mind, the fact that Ashley could even function was a miracle. Leon pulled up to the White House and was given was permission to enter. Leon was led into the foyer of the White House, an old maid was there waiting for him.

"Ashley is in conferance room A, Mr. Kennedy. Right down that hall and do the left of you." The old maid directed him, Leon nodded and walked down the large hall. As he reached the door of conference room A, he could hear Ashley's crying. "Ashley, I'm here." Leon said as he opened the door, Ashley ran into his arms and held him as tight as she could. Leon stroked her hair and slowly Ashley's sobs dissapated until she relaxed in his arms.

"Leon...When will these nightmares go away..?" Ashley trembled, Leon helped her sit down and sat next to her. He got a good look at her, the dark circles under her eyes were large and her eyes themselves were puffy and red. But she still looked as cute as ever...

"Look at me, I'm a mess! I haven't slept in two days and when I do, I'm back in that awful, vile place." Ashley wiped her eyes, Leon smiled and took out the box of tissues he bought at the convenience store.

"Figured you would need thes, c'mon clean yourself up." Leon offered the box to her, Ashley blew her nose and wiped her eyes again. "Thank you..." Ashley replied in a small voice. "No problem, it is my job to protect you isn't it?" Leon leaned back in his chair.  
"So, what else do you need?" Leon spoke after several minutes passed by, Ashley looked up and composed herself.

"All I want, is for you to be beside me, because you've been through the same things as me. I want to know that I'm not alone in this struggle to find a normal life and to know that I'm not alone, period." Ashley choked on a new wave of tears, put pressed on talking.

"I tried going back to my old life, my circle in friends and studies, but I couldn't. My friends couldn't look at me when I returned in the same light again. I stopped going to my favourite places, the mall, the movies and my favourite restaurants. My grades have bottomed out, so I'm risking my scholarship. I'm in trouble Leon, I need help." Ashley bit her lower lip to stop her sobs.

Leon heaved a heavy sigh as he took in what Ashley told him, he thought of the right words to say. Ashley was in a very fragile state, she was so scared of losing it completely.

"Ash...I know how you feel, I had a very rough transition period after the crisis in Raccoon City. I went back to work after the psychologists deemed me 'stable' enough to return. Well, I certainly was looked at differently. The other officers called me a loose cannon." Leon stopped, he resisted the urge to chuckle at his last statement.

"Anyway, they thought that any minuted, something or someone could set me off...They were right in some respect, almost every case I was sent on, reminded of Raccoon City and the memories came flooding back. I would have nightmares, of dying in that crisis, waking up in cold sweats...The rest you know." Leon yawned, suddenly Ashley felt exhausted.

It was like a trigger once Leon yawned, it gave her an overwhelming sense of security, she smiled softly.  
"You have any nightmares of Spain, Leon?" Ashley asked him, Leon got up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I have, I dream that I don't get there in time to rescue you...That, scares me the most, sweetheart." Leon held Ashley in a tight embrace, Ashley closed her eyes and almost instantly fell asleep. Leon picked her up and left the room.

"Which way to Ashley's room?" Leon asked the maid, he was directed again upstairs and to the right. Leon opened Ashley's bedroom door and placed Ashley on her bed, he pulled the covers over her and sat on the chair across from it.

Leon watched as Ashley slept peacefully, she didn't deserve all of that baggage, physical or mental. He hoped that Saddler was burning in hell beyond recognition for what he did to Ashley. She was so innocent, so pure and honest that it scared him. With her face slightly flushed, Ashley looked even more cute than usual...

"Forget it Leon, Ashley Graham is off limits." Leon's sense of logic hit him over the head, but it was getting more and more difficult to listen to logic for Ashley was blossoming into a woman.

Leon felt his eyelids droop, he slowly fell asleep in the chair.

[To Be Continued]

Copyright-Capcom


	2. Chapter 2

Resident Evil Four LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon Ashley Right Choice]

Part Two-Morning at the White House

Leon slowly woke up, he rubbed his eyes and heard Ashley moving around in her closet. He stretched out and felt how stiff his neck was, falling asleep in a chair, bad idea. Before Leon could react, Ashley came out in nothing but her bra and panties!

Ashley was frozen in embarrassment and Leon couldn't help but stare, she was beautiful...Then reality sunk in, Ashley quickly got dressed in record time and Leon was worried that his neck wouldn't be the only thing that was stiff.

"I t-thought you were still asleep!" Ashley blurted out, Leon nodded silently and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Why in the hell was he so flustered? It was just Ashley...Right? Leon got up from the chair and attempted to change the subject.

"Where's your kitchen, I could use a cup of coffee." Leon cleared his throat, Ashley felt her heart pound against her chest, she opened up the door and smiled shyly.  
"I'll show you to the kitchen, it's this way."

Ashley walked with Leon downstairs and through different parts of the White House, until they arrived at the kitchen. Ashley went straight for the cinnamon rolls, she hoped that eating would keep the awkward levels to a minimum.

Leon poured a cup of coffee, the aroma was so comforting and the warmth was inviting. He then helped himself to a fritter. Ashley let out a giggle that made Leon look up. "What's so funny?" Leon asked her, Ashley stopped to catch her breath.

"You look like a typical cop on the beat! C'mon, coffee and donuts are the staple!" Ashley giggled, Leon's mouth curved in a smile, but he wasn't going to let that comment slide.  
"Would a typical cop do this?" Leon got up and stood behind Ashley, he placed his hands on her sides.

Ashley's heart skipped a beat, she felt her face flame. Suddenly, she felt him tickling her! Ashley gasped and started to laugh loudly, Leon smirked and went back to his breakfast. Ashley caught her breath and gave Leon a glare.

"Not fair Leon, you caught me off guard, you jerk!" Ashley tried hard not to laugh, but she couldn't help it. Leon sat back and placed his cup down.  
"Someone's gotta keep you on your toes." Leon let out a laugh himself, which took him by surprise.

"Well I'm glad that it's you Leon...Listen, thanks for cheering me up, I really appreciate it." Ashley smiled brightly, Leon felt his heart skip a beat, what was this odd feeling coming over him?

"No need to thank me. It's what I do." Leon said rather coldly, Ashley felt her spirits dampen a little but she reassured herself. Leon wasn't good with getting too close to people, this was as far as he went.

"I got to go, Ash. I have work to do, I'll call you when I'm done my shift." Leon was about to leave when Ashley placed a hand on his arm.  
"Leon, could you do me a favour, please?"

Leon nodded silently.  
"When you're about to fall asleep at home, could you call me to me that? I know it's an odd request..." Ashley trailed off, Leon looked at Ashley's sweet face.

"Alright, I will. See you later, sweetheart." Leon waved smoothly as he took his leave, leaving Ashley all alone in the large kitchen. She sighed and finished off her cinnamon roll, today was going to be a long day...

Ashley walked back upstairs and got ready for school, she dreaded seeing what her marks were but she had to keep going. Ashley had to figure out a way to get there though. She reached for her phone and dialed the security guards.

"Yes hello. It's Ashley, could you possibly have one of your men drive me to school this afternoon?" Ashley asked formally, the security guards complied and Ashley dashed for the parking lot. Ashley was about to take contol of her life again...

Ashley stared out the car window, she watched the city fly by until she arrived at her school.  
"Have a good day at school, Ms. Graham." The chauffeur said with a kindly smile, Ashley waved goodbye.

Her stomach was filled with butterflies, she hadn't been back in at least three months an the consequences of that laid heavy in her mind.  
"Well, here goes nothing...Don't fall on your face, Ashley." Ashley said to herself as she opened the campus door.

No one around her paid little attention to the fact that she had returned, Ashley's rescue must of become old news for she walked through the halls as if nothing had changed. Ashley much preferred this, she had to admit.

This made her feel that life had returned to some form of normalcy. Ashley took the elevator to the third floor where her Literature class was taking place, she hesitated to open the door, for what would people say?

Well, there was one way to find out.  
"Get it together Ashley..." Ashley opened the door...All the eyes in the room looked her way, she suddenly felt very aware of herself and slowly sat down in her usual seat.

"Ms. Graham, a pleasure to see you here in class." Mrs. Abernathy said as she cleared off the blackboard, Ashley simply nodded and opened her books. The class continued from there on in, as if it had been a normal day.

Ashley's class ended and she was starved, she sprinted off towards the cafe. She was about to turn a corner when, out of the blue, she ran into another person! Ashley stumbled and fell over, losing her books and her dignity at the same time.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going! Sorry again..." Ashley looked down at her feet and picked up her books.  
"It's okay, I should've been more careful." A feminine voice replied, Ashley picked herself up and brushed herself off.

Ashley looked at the person she bumped into, she had naturally wavy, light brown hair with bright blue eyes. She was donning a pair of dark jeans, a plain white shirt and pair of dress shoes. "Umm, I might as well tell you my name, good manners and all. My name is Willow Albion, how are you?" Willow smiled, Ashley returned the smile and shook her hand.

"My name is Ashley Graham. Happy to meet you, Willow." Ashley smiled and walked with Willow towards the cafe. Ashley ordered her usual, Willow did so as well.  
"So, you're the President's daughter right? Sorry, I know you must get that a lot." Willow sat down and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry about it. I'm alright with it, as long as you're not a member of the paparazzi, we'll get along fine." Ashley sipped on her green tea, Willow crossed her arms and grinned.  
"Dom't worry, I'm not that great of a photographer...This may be a touchy subject, but are you doing okay? I heard what happened to you in Spain six months ago. I can't imagine how much of a nightmare it was for you." Willow treaded softly, she held her breath for she had no idea how Ashley would respond.

"Yeah, it was a nightmare. I'm still not quite over it, but there was some parts of that hellish time that I didn't have a hard time with..." Ashley drifted off, Willow looked at Ashley, she seemed to be happy.  
"Umm, Ashley, are you there?" Willow nudged her arm.

Ashley's eyes fluttered and she was brought back to earth.  
"Yeah, I'm here, sorry about that." Ashley took another sip of her green tea, she blushed a little.  
"I see...You were rescued by a good looking man. I get it now." Willow smirked, Ashley opened her mouth in an attempt to deny it, but to no avail.  
"Well, you've got pretty good insight, Willow." Ashley said with a small laugh, she and Willow continued their lengthy conversation until Willow had to go to her next class. They said goodbye to each other, Ashley stayed in the cafe and looked down at the e-mail address Willow gave her.

Ashley smiled deeply, she had found a new friend. That was good, that was healthy. It was normal and Willow Albion was easy girl to talk to. Ashley looked at her cell phone, it was time for her to go home, so she called the chauffeur to come pick her up. Ashley walked out the front door and saw the limo roll up, she made sure that it was the right one.

Ashley got into the back seat and placed her books down beside her.  
"Did you have a good day at school, Ms. Graham? The chauffeur asked her, Ashley sat in silence to let that question hang in the air.  
"You know what...I think I did." Ashley replied, she stared out the window and let the city fly by her once again.  
"I can't wait to tell Leon!"

[To Be Continued] 


	3. Chapter 3

Resident Evil Four LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon Ashley Right Choice]

Part Three-Lifestyle Changes

Leon sat at his desk, signing a tonne of paperwork. "Aah, the glamorous life of an Secret Service agent..." Leon thought to himself, he hated doing paperwork, he much preferred working in the field. He stretched out and kept looking at the clock on the wall, he wanted nothing more than to get out of here.

"Leon are you finished with that paperwork?" His superior officer asked, Leon stacked them up and handed them to him. "So, can I get out of here, sir?" Leon got up from his seat, the officer nodded. Finally, he could leave.  
"Thanks, see you tomorrow." Leon walked out to the parking lot, he unlocked his car and reached for his phone.

Leon dialed Ashley's phone and waited patiently for her pick up. "Hi Leon, thanks for calling me." Ashley responded, Leon smiled and leaned back on his car.  
"Hey Ash. I'm done with work, do you want me to come visit?" Leon asked Ashley "Do you want to meet somewhere for dinner, I feel like going out for dinner tonight. I feel like I want to go out tonight." Ashley answered cheerfully, Leon was a little taken aback by her sudden change in mood, a stark change from the frightened girl he comforted last night.

"So, I guess you're in better spirits tonight, so what changed?" Leon placed hand in his pocket, Ashley giggled over the phone.  
"I met a very nice girl at school today, I had a great conversation with her and we talked for at least an hour. I think I found a new friend to talk to." Ashley replied, Leon smiled and got into his car.

"Well, my cell is dying, I'll see you at the White House. I know a place you might like to eat. See you soon, sweetheart." Leon hung up the phone when Ashley said goodbye, he got into his car and drove off. Leon pulled into the White House and waited for Ashley in the foyer, he saw Ashley was running towards him from the right hallway. She was wearing a flirty, yet simple black dress, she looked great.

"Leon, ready for dinner, I thought I would get a little dressed up. You like my dress?" Ashley asked Leon as she turned around slowly, Leon looked at her and smiled slightly.  
"You look...You look great, Ash. Come on, let's go, I think you'll like this place." Leon took her hand, Ashley smiled and walked with Leon to his car.

"So Leon, where are you taking me tonight?" Ashley looked out the window, Leon turned to face her.  
"I found out about this place from Hunnigan when we celebrated a job well done, it's a family owned diner that specializes in Italian food." Leon explained, Ashley sat back and looked down at her dress.  
"Do you think I dressed too fancy for this place? I didn't know we were going to a casual restaurant." Ashley tugged at her dress, Leon placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No, I don't think so. You'll be fine." Leon calmed her nerves, Ashley smiled and felt a faint blush rise in her cheeks. She hoped that Leon didn't notice, she placed her hands in her lap and focused on the city flying in the window beside her. It was what she did whenever she was nervous and lately, it was becoming a routine thing. It wasn't long before they arrived at the diner, it was small, but it looked very cozy.

Leon and Ashley got out of the car and walked into the diner, a seating hostess motioned them to follow her to a table.  
"Hello again, here with another girl, I see. Things with the other one not work out?" The Waitress said with a smile, Leon let out a small chuckle.  
"She was a colleague and we were celebrating a successful mission."  
Leon explained with a smile, he ordered what he had last time and he looked at Ashley from across the table.  
"The ravioli here is amazing. You should get it." Leon suggested, Ashley nodded and ordered the same thing.

When their ravioli arrived, Leon raised his glass of Sprite, Ashley placed her fork down and raised hers as well.  
"Cheers...To getting on with life." Leon's glass clinked with Ashley's, they both took a sip of their drinks. Leon couldn't help but look at the girl across from him, she looked incredible tonight. His eyes trailed up to hers, he quickly looked away and drank some more soda.

When the bill came, Ashley went for it but Leon stopped her.  
"This dinner is on me, wouldn't be right to see you pay." Leon took out the appropriate amount of money and some extra for a tip.  
"So, ready to take me home? I'm still pretty exhausted from last night." Ashley walked out of the diner with Leon, he started the car and drove out of the parking lot.

Ashley and Leon stopped at the front door, Ashley looked up at Leon and smiled.  
"I had an awesome time out, Leon, this is the first good day I've had in a long time. I really liked that diner, I'd love to go there again with you." Ashley said as she looked down at her feet, Leon placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm glad...Well, I have to get back home. I have a lot of work tomorrow, I need to get my eight hours. I'll see you tomorrow, Ash." Leon leaned over and kissed Ashley on the cheek, Ashley smiled deeply and hugged Leon.  
"Leon...Don't do what you're about to do...Once you do it, things will never be the same, don't do it..." Leon's sense of logic kicked in overdrive, Leon felt his heart pounding in his throat.

"Oh just shut up." Leon's heart told his head as leaned over and kissed her lips softly and cautiously, trying not to scare her off. Ashley's heart pounded in her chest as she started to stroke his face her her hand. Leon deepened the kiss and slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. Slowly, he broke the exploratory kiss and tried not to look in her eyes.

Leon struggled to form a sentence, he had no words to explain his actions.  
"Say something, Kennedy! Say something." Leon screamed at himself in his mind, he swallowed and fidgeted in his spot.  
"Good night Ash..." Leon said softly as he gave Ashley a hug, he waved goodbye and walked to his car.

Ashley opened the door to the White House very slowly, she silently walked upstairs to her room and closed her door behind her. Ashley felt something rise up from her stomach, she suppressed the urge to let out a huge squeal of happiness. She twirled around her bed and fell back on it. "Today...The best day of my life..." Ashley thought to herself as she hugged her pillow, she slowly fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Leon opened the door to his house, he closed the door behind him slowly and walked upstairs to his bedroom. Leon took off his shirt and fell into his bed, completely drained. "What did I just do?...I...I kissed her." Leon looked up at the ceiling and placed his face in his hands. Leon let out a small chuckle, he couldn't believe what he just done. He kissed the president's daughter!

[To Be Continued]


	4. Chapter 4

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Four-Elitism

Ashley sat in class while her Teacher droned on about something that she couldn't care less about. Her eyes stared at the wall as she sat there in silence. Did what happened last night, actually happen? Did she just dream it, or did his lips actually touch hers?

Ashley was brought back to Earth when the dismissal bell rang, she got her stuff and left the room.

She spotted Willow down the busy hall, Ashley waved to her and they met each other halfway.

"Willow, I'm so glad to see you! How are you?" Ashley hugged her, Willow smiled and placed her books in her bag.

"You'll never guess what happened to me last night...I'm still shocked." Ashley divulged the details of her night with Leon, Willow grinned and crossed her arms.

"So, he kissed you, huh? Well congratulations, Ashley." Willow replied, but Ashley looked to her side and went silent.

"I take it, that you didn't want this to happen." Willow started, but Ashley placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled again.

"It's just that...I thought that Leon was nothing more than a fantasy. Someone who I could look at and wonder what it would be like if I was in his arms, now that it's actually happened. I don't know...Sure he kissed me, but was he caught up in the moment or did it actually mean something?" Ashley explained to Willow. Ashley and Willow left the hallway and walked towards the cafe, Willow and Ashley ordered up their usual and sat down by the window.

"So, your main concern is that it was a heat of the moment type kiss that doesn't mean anything. I understand completely, I've been in that territory before when I was younger. What kind of kiss was it, was it really passionate or was it a tender kiss?" Willow asked her, Ashley thought to herself for a few minutes before she responded.

"It started off tender, but then his arms wrapped around my waist." Ashley replied, Willow got a look in her eyes like she was trying to solve a difficult puzzle.

"Well, there's something there, if the kiss was tender at the start, it means that it was exploratory. I think Leon is starting to feel something for you, he's just too scared to admit because of the circumstances." Willow sipped on her soda, Ashley slowly grinned and resisted the urge to squeal.

"Willow, my birthday is coming up soon. Do you want to come to my party? I'd love it if you would come." Ashley gave Willow an invitation, Willow opened it up and saw an ornate card was inside. There was two check boxes, yes or no, on the bottom of the card.

"Do you have a pen on you?" Willow asked, Ashley nodded and got one out of her purse, Willow checked the box next to the yes and handed it back to her.

"It would be my honour to attend such an event." Willow said formally, the two girls started to laugh which garnered the attention of three girls sitting at the table across the room. Ashley looked over and saw that a group of her former friends were walking towards their table.

"Hi Ashley, I didn't know that you returned to school, when did you come back?" The girl in the middle asked, Ashley looked at Willow and cleared her throat.

"I came back yesterday, thanks for asking, Allie." Ashley said while she gazed out the window, Alexis stared at Willow with calculating eyes.

"Is there some reason why you're looking at me like that?" Willow cast her eyes up at her, Allie looked at Ashley and sneered.

"So, I see that you've made a new friend, but she's not really cut from the same cloth." Allie tapped her foot on the tile floor, Willow rose from her chair and stared right in her eyes.

"So, do you speak on behalf of both the girls behind you, or is this just the collective intelligence of all three of you put together? Cut the bullshit, when you say someone else, you mean someone who got here with financial aid. I may of gotten here on borrowed money, but I didn't get here on borrowed influence. The only reason why you three are even here is because your daddies bought the school another wing, so stop the poor attempts to hide your elitism." Willow said with false cheer so that she wouldn't make a scene, Allie was left stunned as she left in a huff along with other girls.

Ashley breathed a sigh of relief, she looked up at Willow with grateful eyes.

"Thanks for getting rid of them...I can't believe that I used to regard them as my best friends...What's more is, I can't believe that I used to be like that. That was an eye opener." Ashley felt very aware of how much she had changed, Willow sat back down and took a deep breath.

"Really...? What did you used to be like?" Willow inquired, Ashley placed her soda on the table and leaned back in her seat.

"I used to be very particular of who I brought into my inner circle. I was elitist because I let the fact that I was the president's daughter go to my head. I thought that I could do no wrong. That is, until I was kidnapped and drugged in Spain, that's when I changed. When I returned, I couldn't believe how they took everything for granted and how they rubbed their prestige in everyone's faces. The amount of time they spent, preening themselves to look perfect...It made me sick. So when I drifted from Allie, she wanted to know why. So I told her and the rest is history." Ashley picked her soda up and drank the last few drops.

"Well, thanks for giving me a chance, I know I may not have that amount of prestige but I think I have something unique to offer." Willow laughed, Ashley smiled and the two girls left the cafe.

[To Be Continued]


	5. Chapter 5

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Five-Advice at the Party

It was late at night in Washington, the streets were empty and everything except twenty four hour shops were open. In a small condo, in a quiet neighbourhood, Leon Scott Kennedy laid in his bed looking up at the ceiling. He replayed the message that Ashley had sent him, he listened to it

_"Hey Leon...Umm, I'm having a birthday party this weekend, it's just me and Willow, so I'd thought you would like to come over. You don't have to stay long, I just want you there...Also, could we talk about what happened a couple of nights ago? I can handle what you have to say. Goodbye, Leon."_

Leon rolled on his stomach and propped himself up with his arms, he let out a loud groan and got up from his bed. He started up his computer, his eyes winced at the brightness of the screen. Leon signed onto his e-mail and started to write an e-mail to Ashley, his hands hovered over the keyboard. What was he going to say?

"Shit...Why in the hell is this so damn hard?" Leon muttered out loud, he closed the browser window and also shut down the computer. Leon walked back to his bed and picked up his cell, he started to send Ashley a voice message.

_"Hey Ash, it's Leon. So, you're having a b-day party. I'll come visit, maybe even bring you a gift, I'll see how much I can spend at the mall on my day off...We'll talk, if you want to. Well, I'm going to sleep. See you then, bye."_

Leon closed his cell phone and placed it on his night stand, he fell back on his bed and pulled up his sheets...

Leon parked his car in the lot of the parking lot, he had to get some more of the essentials. Leon stepped on the escalator, he stepped off at the top and walked into the pharmacy. He walked over to the shampoo aisle and picked out his usual, he walked over to the next aisle and grabbed a bar of soap.

Leon paid for his things and left the pharmacy, he walked by several stores and two of them caught his eye. A book store and a jewelry store, Leon walked into the book store, he walked towards the journals and glanced over all of the different styles. He chose a green journal with a floral design, after he purchased the journal, he walked into the jewelry store.

Leon scanned the jewelry cases, he had no idea what Ashley would like but he took a gamble on a pendant. The pendant's stone was shaped like the letter A, he called over the store manager and pointed to the pendant.

"How much is this pendant, I'd like to buy it." Leon asked the manager, the manager reached for her keys and pulled out the pendant from the case.

"It's one thousand dollars, sir." The manager replied, Leon blinked a few times and scratched his neck.

"That's a little much..." Leon pondered, he stared at the pendant for a few minutes and then reached for his wallet.

"Do you take debit?" Leon asked her, she nodded and placed the pendant in an elegant, velvet blue box.

"I'm sure your girlfriend will love it." The manager said with a smile as Leon left the store.

Leon got back to his car and got inside, he sat there for a minute and thought of what the manager said. He leaned back with a sigh, his mouth slowly curved into a smile.

"Girlfriend...Ashley Graham, my girlfriend?" Leon asked himself, he quickly started the car to distract him of such thoughts, but it wasn't enough. Something happened when he kissed Ashley, he felt something inside of him click when he kissed her and he was afraid of what that might be. Leon drove to the White House, he turned on the radio and lost himself in the music.

"Ashley, your friend Willow has arrived, I shall tell her to wait in the foyer for your." Gwen, the old maid spoke from behind her door, Ashley smiled and she ran down the stairs. Willow stood by the door, she was wearing a casual, but sophisticated white dress with black stockings.

"You look wonderful Willow!" Ashley hugged her friend, Willow looked over her shoulder and smiled awkwardly.

"Is it okay if my boyfriend is here as well, he's just parking the car." Willow asked her, Ashley looked at her with widened eyes.

"You've got a boyfriend? Wow, so what's his name?" Ashley asked her, before Willow could answer, Willow's fiance walked into the door.

"Hi, I'm Eric Warren, nice to meet you Ashley. I hope that don't get in the way of your time with Willow." Eric shook her hand, his lips revealed a bright smile. His hair was the colour of black ink, his eyes were a bright green and he had a similar build to Leon. Ashley noted how handsome he was, but to her, Leon was the most attractive man she'd ever met.

"No, don't worry about it. It's good to meet new people." Ashley smiled, she saw a familiar face come to the door, it was Leon!

"Leon, you made it! I'm glad that you came!" Ashley ran up to him and hugged him, Leon slowly returned her embrace and walked inside the White House. Ashley introduced Leon to both Eric and Willow, then the four of them headed into the kitchen to eat a late lunch.

Ashley and Willow sat in a corner and giggled as they ate some cupcakes, Leon and Eric stood outside in the patio drinking bottles of soda. Eric realized the poor amount of dialogue between him and Leon, so he began to start up conversation.

"So...You're Ashley's boyfriend? Or are you two just friends?" Eric asked him rather boldly, Leon looked down at his root beer and then gazed back at Eric.

"Right now...I have no idea what we are, I know she wants me, but I don't know if it's what I want..." Leon took a sip from his bottle, Eric's eyes looked at Leon as he gazed at Ashley. He placed his bottle down and crossed his arms.

"It's another woman, isn't it? You still harbour feelings for another woman, don't you? Or else, it wouldn't be so difficult to decipher what you're feeling." Eric hit the mark, Leon's eyes darted to Eric's.

"How did you know?" Leon asked him, Eric let out a small chuckle and uncrossed his arms.

"I'm a master in psychology, I can tell what the problem is before anyone else does, that's one of my gifts. Here's my answer to this problem...What is this other woman to you?" Eric asked the tough question, Leon pondered over the question and looked at the ceiling.

"Her name is Ada Wong, her role in my life...I'll be honest with you, her role in my life is something twisted. She's a trickster, she comes walking in and out of my life on a whim. She's my ally one minute, then my enemy the next. I fell for her, but she broke me in pieces..." Leon took a swig of soda, Eric did the same as he took in what Leon told him.

"Well, to me, it seems to me, that you're unwilling to let go. Unrequited love is a very hard thing to get past, but look at what you have in front of you. Ashley Graham has no hidden agenda, she has no ulterior motives or secrets. She's not an exotic beauty, but she is beautiful. She obviously loves you unconditionally and she knows that she might get her heart broken, but that doesn't stop her from loving you. That won't always be the case though." Eric explained, Leon sat down and tried to respond.

"Why not?" Leon could only muster up those two words in response, Eric cleared his throat and continued with his analysis.

"Eventually, she'll get tired of waiting for something that won't come. She'll might become like you are now, letting the rejection get to her or she might move on entirely and find someone else and you'll be left regretting that you didn't take a chance on her. So, here's the question for you. Do you want to keep stewing at home, waiting for this Ada to come around and complicate your life again, or do you take a chance on a life with a woman that you have endless potential with?" Eric finished with his tough advice.

"One more thing, Leon...It seems as if you have a huge amount of trust issues with this Ada Wong, if you two started up a relationship, would you honestly and truly be able to get past that?" Eric added, Leon looked inside the kitchen and saw Ashley with a big smile on her face as she talked with Willow. Her eyes met his for a moment and Leon's heart skipped a beat and with that peice of evidence, Eric smiled.

"Make the right choice, Leon. Not the safe choice...Well, we better get back inside, the girls are waiting." Eric opened the sliding door to the kitchen, Willow walked up to Eric and hugged him.

"So, what were the two of you talking about? Seems like you were having a very deep conversation out there." Willow asked with a smile, Eric and Leon exchanged looks and the two men just grinned.

"Just talking about sports." Eric winked at Willow, which garnered a kiss on his cheek and the two lovers held onto each others hands, the went outside into the patio.

Leon looked down at Ashley, he felt a trigger and it sent a chill up his spine.

"Right...I forgot something in my car. I'll be back soon, stay here." Leon smiled as he left, Ashley did as she was told and dug into the bowl of chips.

Leon opened his car and fished out the gifts that he bought for Ashley, he opened the journal and started to write something down. Once he was finished, he walked right up to the kitchen door and suddenly his heart started to pound madly.

"Leon...Don't run away now. Don't you dare run away now." For the first time, his logic and heart were on the same wavelength as he opened the kitchen door.

Leon handed Ashley her present, her eyes lit up when she opened up the blue box and she held back tears of joy.

"Leon, this is incredibly beautiful, it must of been very expensive." Ashley's hands trembled, Leon helped her put the pendant on and Ashley looked in the mirror by the fridge.

"It looks great on you. It cost me a chunk of my salary, but you're worth it." Leon placed his hands in his pockets, Ashley giggled and then looked at the journal.

"I thought that writing your thoughts down would help with the recovery process." Leon said softly, Ashley smiled and was about to open the journal up, but Leon stopped her. She looked at him quizzically which made Leon grin and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Read it tonight...I want it to be surprise..." Leon whispered in her ear, Ashley gasped at the feeling of his hot breath on her neck. Willow and Eric returned from the patio, the party continued through the late afternoon and night. While they were watching a movie in the living room, Leon's phone vibrated.

"Sorry, I got to take this. Must be work related." Leon left the living room to check his phone, Ada had just sent him a text message...

_"Leon, I'm in Washington on business, I'll be at the airport bar if you want to have drinks with me. We could do some catching up."_

Leon gazed at the message for a few moments and then he let out a laugh, he started his response...

_"Sorry, I can't come see you. I'm working overtime tonight...Goodbye Ada." _

Leon closed his phone and sat next to Ashley, he slowly placed his left arm around her shoulder and brought her close to his chest. Ashley felt her heart start to pound, Leon kissed her forehead and they continued to watch the movie with their new friends...

[To Be Continued]


	6. Chapter 6

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Six-Night at Leon's

Leon sat at his desk, he stacked some files while humming cheerfully and then he closed the filing cabinet. Hunnigan walked into his office, she looked at Leon with puzzled eyes, she cleared her throat and Leon looked up from his chair.

"Hunnigan, how're you this morning?" Leon asked with a smile on his face, Hunnigan went for the coffee machine and poured herself a cup.

"So, why are you so unusually cheerful?" Hunnigan asked him, Leon simply leaned back in his chair and looked out the window.

"I had a good night last night. I rented some movies with a friend, ate pizza and drank some soda." Leon replied, Hunnigan sat down at her desk and got to work writing some paperwork.

"Sounds like fun, could I join you sometime?" Hunnigan typed away, Leon hoped to god that she didn't see him blush.

"Umm...Sure, I guess that's okay." Leon heard his cellphone ring, he took it out of his pocket and saw who was calling him. It was Ashley, Leon left the office and walked to a quiet place, he found a good spot underneath the stairs.

"Hey, sweetheart...I missed you." Leon spoke smoothly, Ashley giggled which made the hairs on Leon's neck stand up.

"So, did you have fun last night..?" Ashley asked, Leon's mind trailed to last night...

_Last Night..._

_Leon opened the door to his condo and Ashley walked inside, she looked at the furnishings that surrounded her, Leon's place was the quintessential bachelor pad. The furniture was simple and the layout was functional, but it felt very welcoming. _

_"I know my place isn't as fancy as yours, but it's home." Leon placed his jacket on the couch, Ashley took out the movies that they rented at the video store._

_"So, what movie do you want to watch first? We got, The Shining, Ghostbusters and some others here." Ashley thumbed her way through the DVD's, Leon picked up Ghostbusters and turned on his TV._

_"How about we start off with something funny." Leon placed the DVD in the player and sat on the couch, Ashley sat beside him and the movie started._

_After about twenty minutes into the movie, Ashley felt Leon's arm wrapping around her shoulder. She slowly fell into his arms and then she saw Leon on his phone._

_"I'm ordering a pizza, is that alright with you?" Leon asked, Ashley nodded and they decided on a deluxe pizza and two cans of Coca Cola._

_They continued to watch the movie, until they heard the doorbell ring and then Leon paused it._

_"Thanks, here's a tip...Bye." Leon came back with a medium pizza and the soda's, Ashley opened the pizza box and dug in. She then realised that she must of looked pretty ridiculous._

_"Sorry, I missed lunch this afternoon so I'm pretty hungry." Ashley took a sip of cola, Leon smiled and gave her a hug._

_"I can understand that, I've missed meals on the job. Especially on stake out missions, you get so into it that you can't hear your stomach growling." Leon took a bite of his slice, he grabbed a napkin and wiped away the sauce on his hands._

_"Yeah, I was reading a good book in the library, that's what got me so distracted. Willow was trying so hard not to laugh when she heard my stomach growling." Ashley giggled, she then took the last sips of cola and turned her attention to the movie. Leon went to the kitchen to place the rest of the pizza in the fridge, Ashley laughed as she watched scenes from the movie._

_Leon returned and he wrapped his arms around her, Ashley got cozy and placed her hands on her knees._

_"So..." Leon started, Ashley looked up at him and he had the faintest hint of a blush on his face._

_"So..." Ashley responded slowly, Leon looked at Ashley in the eyes, he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. Ashley's arms went around his waist, Leon felt his heart start to race as he delved deeper into the kiss. Ashley slowly reached for the remote and paused the movie, she felt Leon roll on top of her and all of his weight fell onto her tiny frame. _

_Leon's hands trailed up her body, he slowly released Ashley from the kiss and he focused on her neck. Ashley let out a soft moan as she rubbed his back gently, Leon was awash in the sensation of Ashley's hands on his back. He kissed her lips roughly, he inhaled the scent of her perfume like it was some kind of drug. Slowly, but reluctantly, he rolled over and freed himself from her embrace, he let out a ragged sigh. _

_"Did I do something wrong?" Ashley asked him, feeling very self conscious all of a sudden. Leon looked across at her and shook his head, he ran his hands through his hair and leaned forward._

_"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I wasn't sure if you wanted me all over you. Honest girls don't like that." Leon replied, Ashley grinned and felt her heart skip a beat._

_"You're amazing, you know that? You keep on blowing my expectations out of the water." Ashley smiled, Leon felt a wave of relief wash over him, he didn't hurt her feelings._

_"Is that a good thing?" Leon asked very softly, which took Ashley completely off guard, was this the same Leon that she met in Spain? Or was this the Leon that he hid away from the world?_

_"Of course it's a good thing..." Ashley kissed his lips softly, Leon caressed her face and stroked her hair softly, Ashley grabbed the remote and they continued to watch the movie..._

Leon's mouth curved into a confident smirk, he leaned back on the wall.

"You better believe it, sweetheart." Leon replied as he sighed happily, which made Ashley smile.

"So, do you want to do anything tonight after I'm done work?" Leon asked, Ashley went silent which made Leon nervous.

"Yeah, I want you to meet my father. He doesn't want anyone dating me without his permission, he's kind of protective...Alright he's super protective, so could you please meet him?" Ashley asked, her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Your father wants to meet me..? Okay, I'll introduce myself to him. I just hope he thinks I'm good enough for you, I'm not exactly high class." Leon felt very aware of his status.

"Leon, even if my father rejects you, which he won't, that won't stop me from seeing you. It'll just be a minor technicality. Give yourself some more credit, you're more than you think you are."

Leon felt his heart leap into his throat as he saw his reflection in the window beside him, he gazed into his own eyes.

"You think so?" Leon asked her, looking for confirmation in her words.

"You make me happy, you went above and beyond the call of duty when I was taken away. You reassured me when I was scared out of my mind, you helped to sooth my nightmares...And most importantly, you helped to change myself for the better. That's what makes you high class in my eyes." Ashley honestly responded as she held her pendant in her hands, Leon felt a lump form in his throat as he was taken aback by her words.

"Thanks sweetheart...Damn, looks like my break is over, I have to get back to work. Hope that tonight goes well." Leon stared at his watch.

"Alright, I'll see you tonight...Leon, there's something I want to say to you, but I'll tell you face to face okay?" Ashley said with a cheerful tone, Leon chuckled.

"Okay, I just hope that it's something good." Leon grinned and Ashley giggled.

"Of course it is. I'll see you tonight, Leon. Oh, you might want to dress a little more formal, there's a banquet at my place tonight. My father wanted a proper party for my birthday, which I detest, but I guess it makes him happy." Ashley explained.

"Alright, I'll get myself together. Bye, sweetheart." Leon said his goodbyes as their conversation ended, Leon walked back to the office and sat back down at his desk...He hoped to god that he wouldn't screw up tonight, this was the biggest step in his new relationship...

[To Be Continued]


	7. Chapter 7

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Seven-Judging Eyes

Leon went through his closet, he needed something to wear at Ashley's birthday banquet, he cursed out loud and fell on his bed. He didn't have anything formal to wear, he was going to screw up before he even started, he just knew it. He attempted to look again, he was about to give up when something inside his head clicked, Leon remembered that he had bought a three piece suit when he first arrived in Washington, but never got the chance to wear it.

It was for an event that the President was holding, but then Ashley's kidnapping happened. He hoped that it was still where he left it, with a sigh of relief, Leon unzipped the garment bag and laid the suit on his bed while he got himself ready for tonight. He took a long, relaxing shower, Leon let the warm water sooth his nervous mind. He ran his hands through his wet hair and turned off the shower. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist.

He cleared off the condensation off the mirror and picked up his razor, he got rid of his five o' clock shadow and combed his hair. Leon walked back into his room and dried himself off before he got his suit on. He walked out the door and draped a scarf over his neck, he got into his car and drove to Ashley's...

Ashley felt her stomach flutter as she went through her clothes, she frantically searched for the most stylish dress she could find. Ashley ran in and out of her walk in closet, Ashley finally chose a dress that she thought would look most appropriate for tonight. Ashley combed out her hair, she debated whether to place it in an up-do or just keep it down. She looked at the clock that hung on her wall, it was getting close to when she would have to go downstairs and make pleasantries with the wealthy elite.

Ashley rolled her eyes and let out a cynical laugh, she really couldn't stand it. All of these people that were here at the White House, all these people here at her party, weren't even her age. They were her father's age, the only saving grace of this whole gala is that Leon would be with her. Ashley breathed in deeply and walked out from her bedroom, she hoped to god that tonight went well. Her father has never approved of any of the guys who have dated, he would always scare them away.

Leon gave his keys to the valet, he looked at the amount of people coming into the White House, Leon suddenly felt very self aware of his status. Here he was, a middle class man, in an upper crust world and he hoped that he didn't look it. Leon swallowed deeply and walked inside, he looked for Ashley among the crowds of people. A man with a tray of white wine walked by him, Leon took one of the glasses and sipped it gently.

Leon finally saw Ashley from across the room, he weaved his way through a group of people and when he got closer, his breath caught in his throat. Ashley was in a beautiful, white dress that ended just below her knees. She wore a pair of white heels, his eyes trailed up from her feet to her eyes. Leon smiled and placed his glass on the table, he placed a hand on her chin.

"You look, amazing tonight Ash." Leon felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her deeply, take her away from this crowd and find somewhere quiet so that they could be alone.

Ashley looked Leon over, he looked gorgeous and Ashley was left speechless. Leon looked like a model in the latest issue of GQ, he was so different from the rough and tumble agent that she met so long ago. Her heart pounded wildly, she cleared her throat and saw her father walk towards her and Leon.

"Ashley, there you are. So, I figure that this is Leon Scott Kennedy. You were the agent that rescued my daughter when she was kidnapped, correct?" President Graham shifted his eyes towards Leon, once his eyes were on Leon, Leon felt his chest tighten up. He breathed in deeply and held out his hand for the President to shake his hand, the President slowly shook Leon's hand and Leon felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Yes, I was the agent who was chosen to guard Ashley, sir. Thankfully those days are behind us. I hope to continue to serve you and to protect Ashley." Leon replied in his most professional tone, President Graham nodded and Ashley felt slightly relieved that things were off to a good start. The hired help came into the hall and announced that dinner was served, with that Leon, Ashley and her father left for the dining room.

After about an hour after dinner, the people around the table were discussing various political hot button topics. Leon took a sip of his coffee and rolled his eyes, which caught the attention of one of the attendees.

"So, I take it that you don't agree with what I'm saying. Speak up if you do." The middle aged man raised his voice, Leon felt his neck heat up as he was put in the spot. The room fell silent and Leon was left to fend for himself in a world he didn't belong in, which was familiar territory, but this time he was unarmed.

"Well, there were many conversations going on at once, what was yours about...I'm sorry what's your name?" Leon asked him, the man leaned forward and placed his hands on the table.

"My name is Dean Inverness, what is yours?" Dean replied, Leon motioned for him to continue.

"Well, what I was discussing with my colleague next to me, was the situation in Raccoon City six years back." Dean added, Leon froze in his seat, Ashley looked up at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Leon smiled slightly at her touch and felt more relaxed, even though Raccoon City was behind him, it still wasn't a part of his life that he wanted to remember.

"What about the events in Raccoon City?" Leon inquired, Dean looked from across the table and sized Leon up with a calculating stare.

"Well, I was just saying that thanks to the events in Raccoon City, my company is in the red. One of the flagship factories in the city was located there. Why on earth did it take so long to respond to the situation, were the police too afraid or were they just incompetent?" Dean ranted on, with just simple words, Leon felt like he took a punch in the stomach. He leaned back in his chair and took in a shuddered breath as he tried to restrain his urge to go over there and silence the elitist bastard.

"Well, I can tell you why it took so long for police to respond. The city was so overrun with the infected that it was nearly impossible to get to the core of the problem. There were other factors that effected the efficiency of response as well. There wasn't a chapter in the police hand book on how to deal with the walking dead." Leon retaliated, he felt bitter rage bubbling up to the surface and it was getting hard to keep his cool

"And how would you know what happened in Raccoon City?" Dean continued his interrogation, Leon looked him dead in the eye and wouldn't back down.

"Because I was there. I was one of those incompetent cops you were talking about. I saw everything first hand, the infected, the destruction. The chaos that's going on in your company, is nothing compared to the chaos that went on six years ago. At least you escaped with your life, your factory workers weren't so lucky...Kind of places everything in perspective, doesn't it?" Leon responded to Dean's challenge, which stunned everyone in the room, Ashley on the other hand was very impressed.

Leon rose from his seat and looked over to the President, Leon cursed loudly in his head, he berated himself furiously for shooting his mouth off. The President slowly smiled at Leon and Ashley, he motioned for them to leave, they obviously did not want to be here and he didn't want them to think they had to. The men continued their conversations as Leon and Ashley left the dining hall, when Ashley and Leon walked outside, Ashley walked up to Leon and gave him a round of applause.

"That was wonderful, Leon. You really put that elitist snob in his place, I'm so impressed. None of the guys that I've dated have ever done anything that gutsy, usually they sucked up to people like Inverness. But you, you were put on the spot and came out looking like the better man..." Ashley hugged his arm, Leon smiled and called for the valet.

"Want to go back to my place? We could watch another movie..." Leon waited for his car, Ashley nodded and when Leon's car came around the two of them left for his place.

Leon opened the door to his place, Ashley placed her coat on the couch and Leon went into the kitchen.

"Thirsty? I've got some soda here if you want some." Leon opened up the fridge and took out two cans of ginger ale, just in case Ashley wanted one.

"Sure, that would be great. Wash out the taste of that god awful liver pate, seriously, what do they put in that?! Whatever it is, it's probably not even liver." Ashley shuddered, Leon chuckled and placed the sodas on the table.

Leon slowly leaned down and kissed Ashley, it was slow and tender. Ashley wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her.

"Leon...Remember what I said to you on the phone, when I said that I had something to tell you?" Ashley hoped that Leon remembered, Leon nodded and sat next to her.

"Well, here goes. I'm really nervous in saying this...When I say it, please don't freak out." Ashley added in nervously.

"Ashley, whatever it is, I think I'll be able to handle it." Leon reassured her, Ashley felt her heart pound in her throat as she gathered up her courage.

"Leon...I love you..." Ashley said softly, Leon's eyes widened and he felt his heart skip a beat.

"It's alright if you don't feel the same way, but I just wanted to let you know how I really feel about you." Ashley was about to say more, when Leon took her in his arms and left her breathless with a searing kiss. Leon stroked her arms and suddenly he felt her arms pushing down his jacket, he didn't stop her, no amount of resolve could stop him from taking all of her in.

Leon lifted Ashley in his arms and took her to his bedroom, Ashley started to unbutton Leon's shirt and it fell on the floor.

"Are you sure, that you want to do this tonight Ashley?" Leon asked her before they continued, Ashley didn't speak, she let her hands do the talking. Her hands groped his bare chest, which sent chills up Leon's spine, his breathing became shallow as he slowly gave into his lust.

"Ash..." Leon sighed her name softly.

Ashley felt very pleased that she was getting such a reaction from Leon, she felt a heat rise in her abdomen as Leon unzipped her dress, his powerful arms took her into him once she was freed from her dress. Ashley placed her head on his chest and fumbled with his belt buckle, her hands trembled as she pulled off Leon's belt.

"I love you, sweetheart." Leon's words sent her over the edge, Ashley kissed him with such passion that it almost overwhelmed Leon. Leon brought Ashley down on the bed and was lost in her eyes, his hands trailed up from her hips to her shoulders.

"Leon, make love to me." Ashley whispered in Leon's ear, Leon grinned and kissed her neck.

"Of course..." Leon complied, those were the last words of the night as Leon turned off his bedroom light.

[To Be Continued]


	8. Chapter 8

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Eight-Red Alert

Leon stirred in his sleep, the sunlight shone through his window and onto his face, he sighed with his eyes closed and got himself mentally prepped for the day...Although, something was different this morning, Leon heard the sound of steady and relaxed breathing. He looked over to the right of him and saw Ashley sleeping, Leon's memories of last night came flooding back to him...

Ashley rolled over and her eyes slowly opened, she looked at Leon with a dazed grin and kissed his chest. Leon closed his eyes and pulled her close to him, he kissed the top of her head.

"Morning, sweetheart..." Leon murmured, Ashley caressed Leon's face and reluctantly rose from his bed. Ashley yawned and sat on Leon's bed, Leon held himself up with his arms and gazed at Ashley's form lovingly.

With the sun pouring through his window, Ashley looked like she was surrounded by a beautiful aura, Leon couldn't believe that she was the same girl he met almost a year ago. Ashley turned around and smiled warmly at Leon, she hummed a cheerful little melody as she almost danced to the kitchen. Leon rolled out of bed and followed Ashley, he started to get make his usual cup of coffee and he placed two pieces of bread in his toaster.

Ashley and Leon ate their breakfast in comfortable silence, until Leon got up from his seat to get dressed.

"I have to go Ash, it's time for me to go to work." Leon said, his words thick with guilt, Ashley sighed, but she smiled and kissed him lightly.

"I know, I understand." Ashley finished off her coffee, the two of them stood there entranced by each other, then Leon's cell phone rang and broke them out of their reverie.

"Leon Kennedy speaking...What?! I'll be there right away. Okay...Got it. Leon out." Leon hung up, he sat back down in his chair slowly and he tried to regain his composure. Ashley ran over to Leon, her hand touched his arm, when Leon looked up at her, Ashley's breath hitched in her throat. Leon's eyes looked almost lifeless, like he wasn't even there anymore.

"Leon, what's going on? Who was that on the phone?" Ashley's voice reached Leon's ears and it almost didn't register with him.

"Ashley, sit down...What I have to tell you, may shock you..." Leon started, Ashley did as told and sat down.

"Hunnigan has just reported to me, that there's been an attack on the White House. I have to get there right away." Leon explained, all the light and colour in Ashley's face left as her body started to tremble.

Leon immediately rushed to her side, Ashley started to cry, her body quaked in Leon's arms.

"Let me come with you, Leon!" Ashley looked up at him, Leon's arms tensed and he shook his head.

"No, I'm not going to place you in any danger, I know that you're worried about your father, but the best thing you can do is to stay here at my place." Leon said, Ashley tried to reason with him, but Leon didn't budge.

"Stay here, please, Ashley. I don't want you to suffer anymore." Leon's voice trembled, Ashley bit her lip and went back into his bedroom to get dressed.

"I'll stay, on one condition Leon..." Ashley stood in the doorway, with her arms folded and her stance strong.

"What condition is that?" Leon asked her, Ashley stared at her feet and then brought her attention to Leon.

"You come back alive, I don't want last night to be the last time we ever..." Ashley trailed off, Leon felt something inside him break, all the bravado disappeared as he let down his defences.

"I'm not going anywhere, you hear? The last thing I want to do is leave you, Ash...For almost half a year, I tried to deny the attraction I felt for you, until it became too much. You take me as you see me, you don't care that I'm damaged goods. You...You haven't given up on me yet, you're someone that I trust completely. I won't leave now that I finally have someone like you." Leon held her tightly, Ashley felt fresh tears roll down her face.

"Okay...I'll call Eric and Willow, just so I have someone with me while you're gone." Ashley started to dial Willow's phone number, Leon put on his clothes and equipped a 9mm handgun into his holster.

"I'm off..." Leon looked back at Ashley, before Ashley could finish dialing the number, Leon kissed her wildly. He held her so close, that when he let go, her arms were red with his hand prints.

"I love you sweetheart." Leon dashed out the door, Ashley called Willow and waited for her to pick up.

"Hi Willow...So you've seen the news? Will you come to Leon's place? I'll tell you the address...It's 5463 Park Street...I hope that you and Eric will be able to get here soon...Okay, see you soon Willow...Bye." Ashley dropped the phone, it fell on the floor with a resounding thud, Ashley fell to the floor and sobbed.

"Please, god...Please, let Leon come home alive...Please, I'm begging you." Ashley whimpered to herself, her world suddenly twisted back into chaos as everything seemed to grow darker around her.

Leon drove through the hectic traffic that had built up around the White House, he looked at the huge mob of people that had clustered in front of the White House. Leon was waved through once a fellow officer saw his badge and identification, Leon parked his car in the lot and started to question the officers on what happened.

"Well, Mr. Kennedy, what happened is that the White House is quarantined. Some group of people disguised as party goers last night, released a infectious virus inside of the White House. That's about as much as I can tell you, if you want to know more. Hunnigan is right over there, talk to her." The officer concluded as he went back to his duties, Leon's blood ran cold, just who in the hell could've gotten a virus in the White House?

"Hunnigan, status report, what's going on inside the structure as of now? Have they isolated the spread of the virus?" Leon asked her, Hunnigan nodded her head, she got out the details that she had gathered.

"The virus was let loose at 11:30pm, the last people to leave the party were the people who unleashed the infection. So everyone who has the virus are all service men and women and the President himself they started to notice something was wrong when someone was found unconscious, with strange looking marks on their skin, no one is allowed in, or else the virus will spread. They have yet to be found, the bio terrorists could be anywhere in the city by now. Now, we're in a bad spot, do we go in there to save them or do we tell them that there's nothing we can do? Leon, this is the biggest mission that the agency is giving you...You're the one we're sending in there to rescue them." Hunnigan closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead, Leon felt his heart pound madly in his chest.

"Alright...I'll go, but I'll need some equipment, I don't want to go in there unprotected, who knows what in the hell that virus has done to them. This could be a repeat of what happened in Spain, another Pueblo, only on a massive scale. I don't think my handgun will be enough." Leon pointed to his holster, Hunnigan responded by giving Leon a case filled with equipment which Leon took gratefully.

"Leon, please be careful, you're one of our best agents, it would be terrible to lose you." Hunnigan took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, Leon placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"Don't worry, whatever's been unleashed inside, I'll make it out alive. I have too much to live for now." Leon's thoughts wondered to the glowing woman that he woke up with before he left, Leon dashed off towards the epicentre of the chaos and ignored the shouts from everyone around to not go inside. At first, Leon was hesitant to even breath in the air, since he had no idea on now the virus was spread.

Leon looked through his case and his eyes caught onto the TMP, he smiled and picked up the gun. This was the weapon that was most useful on his hellish tour through Pueblo, Leon walked through the seemingly desolate halls, making sure to watch his back.

Leon breathed in the air around him, the air was thick with that sickingly familiar scent. It was the stench of death, hanging in the air. Leon had to hurry and save who ever was left alive, he felt constricted as the air grew heavier with the stench and his lungs begged for air. Leon heard movement behind one of the doors, he braced himself for whatever was inside as he kicked the door down.

There in a corner, a maid was on the floor twitching violently, Leon egded closer to her slowly.

To Leon's horror, it looked like something inside of her skin was moving, trying to escape.

"Hey...You're going to be okay, ma'am. I'm going to get you some help." Leon tried to communicate with her, the woman's neck turned until Leon heard the nauseating snap of bone. The woman's mouth revealed a set of razor sharp teeth, her eyes were bloodshot and bulged out of their sockets. She went after Leon with an insatiable bloodlust, snapping her fangs intending to crush him in her vice like jaw. Leon had no choice, he resigned her fate and shot her straight through her heart. The woman staggered on her feet and fell on the ground by his feet, Leon placed a hand on his chest and felt sick to his stomach.

"Shit! It's worse than I thought." Leon cursed out loud, he grabbed his communicator and called Hunnigan.

"Hunnigan, I know how's it's spread now, I met with one of the infected, the person who has the virus, spreads the virus through biting someone else. That's all I know right now, I'll call you if I learn anything more." Leon explained then ended the transmission, he left the room and ventured further into the chaos that had now taken over the White House.

[To Be Continued]


	9. Chapter 9

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Nine-Code Red

Leon walked cautiously through the now infected halls of the White House, the floor and the walls were stained with blood, Leon was over the initial shock and was now searching for someone, anyone that was alive. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead, this was the most difficult mission that he had ever been assigned to, not because of the virus, but because of the person he had to save. The President was facing a terrorist attack that no one could've prepared themselves with, Leon could feel the pressure mount with every step he took.

He rounded a corner and saw another one of the infected, this time it was a man, the man was thrashing about on his feet. His skin was torn down to the bone, his tendons now had thorn like barbs jutting out every which way, Leon could still recognize the man, he was the man who offered him a glass of wine at last night's party. Leon lifted his arm up, he attached the stock to his TMP and took aim at the man's chest, he pulled the trigger and the man fell to the floor in a bloody heap.

The man wasn't alone, yet another person who looked even worse was coming after him, he took aim and fired straight at the woman's head which exploded on impact. More and more of them were coming after him, they were relentless and Leon was losing patience.

"Shit. Will this ever end?" Leon groaned as he kept on firing, once he disposed of the small cluster of the infected, Leon pressed on further and hoped that he would find at least a few people who were still uninfected...

Back at Leon's place, Ashley waited for Willow and Eric to arrive, she had the news on. Ashley held onto Leon's coat, she took in the scent of his cologne that rubbed off on his coat, she was so scared and this was the only thing keeping her together. The news anchor came back on the screen to give people watching an update, Ashley leaned forward and gave the TV her undivided attention.

"Tom Kent reporting that we just got word that the government has just sent in a special agent inside the White House, we have a representative of that agency with us right now." Tom gave the microphone to a svelte woman with a pair of glasses, Ashley recognized her, it was Hunnigan.

"Thank you Tom, we have just dispatched one of our agents inside of the White House, hopefully this will ease the fears of people watching, the virus isn't spread through the air. An infected person has to bite another person in order to spread it, but this doesn't mean that it's not deadly. For the safety of the city, we've quarantined everyone inside, this will contain the virus and also keep the infected from escaping the structure and causing havoc in the streets. We've sent in one of our best men inside, he'll make sure that the President and everyone inside, will escape safely." Hunnigan returned the microphone to Tom's hand and went back to her duties, fending off several other reporters and photographers.

Ashley knew that she was talking about Leon, Leon was the best person for the job and he was good at what he did. Leon also had a talent for escaping nearly hopeless situations, Ashley knew that he would come out alive, but even though Ashley had that knowledge, she still was scared for his life. Ashley heard the door knock, she felt her heart jump, even though she knew that Willow and Eric were coming, it could be someone who would kidnap her again, what with all the chaos in the city.

"Ashley, it's us. Open the door, sweetie." Willow spoke from outside, Ashley smiled and opened the door. Willow flung her arms around Ashley's body, Willow trembled as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Eric came up from behind, carrying bags of junk food and soda.

"Willow was in hysterics when she hung up the phone, she was worried sick about you. I tried to calm her down, but she just couldn't settle down." Eric placed the bags down and placed the soda's in Leon's fridge, Willow and Ashley sat down in the living room.

"He's just embellishing, I wasn't in hysterics. Well, we stopped by a convenience store and got some junk food, hopefully that will take some of the edge off." Willow opened up a bag of chips and handed them to Ashley, who took a few out without any hesitation.

"Thanks, I really needed this..." Ashley hugged Willow, the two girls then turned to the TV to see if anything else had come up, Eric sat down and held onto Willow's hand tightly. Ashley looked for something to talk about, anything to get her mind out of this nightmare.

"So, how did you two meet? Was it in high school or somewhere else?" Ashley looked at Eric and Willow, Eric smiled and opened a can of soda, he closed his eyes and started to remember.

"Well, it's a long story, are you sure you want to hear it?" Eric asked, Ashley nodded silently as she dived into the chips, Eric continued on.

"Well, let me think. It's been a while, well, we met in a coffee shop in the city. Willow was working at the coffee shop and I was behind this asshole who was yelling at her to hurry up, needless to say, I was getting pissed off. Here was this guy, making an ass out of himself and humiliating Willow in front of dozens of people, so guess what I do?" Eric asked Ashley, who just finished off another handful of chips.

"What did you do?" Ashley urged him to continue, Willow looked at Eric in silent admiration which Ashley caught right away, it was the same way she looked at Leon...

"Well, Willow served him his coffee with a strained smile and then he turns to leave without apologizing. I wasn't going to let that slide, so when he turns to leave, I just happen to stick my foot out, the man goes flying onto the floor and his coffee is all over what looked to be an expensive suit." Eric motioned for Willow to continue the story, Willow grinned, then tried to go on with the story without laughing.

"Eric always loves it when I tell this part of the story. Well, I was left with my jaw hanging on the floor, the man was pissed beyond belief. He looked like he was about to kill Eric, but Eric just stood there, like nothing had happened. The guy decides to throw a punch, but Eric simply just dodges it and pats the guy on the back for trying anyway. Without the guy really noticing, Eric had taken him by the collar and drags him out of the coffee shop. The whole place applauded his act of heroism, then, he comes up to the counter and casually orders his coffee like he didn't do anything." Willow then handed the stage to Eric, who gave Willow a wink, then he continued on from there.

"Well, we get to talking and not only do I walk away with a free coffee, I walk away with a pretty girl's phone number. The rest, as they say, is history. I'm glad that Willow took a chance on me, not many women have been able to deal with me." Eric's voice went softer as he looked at Willow with a tender and loving gaze, Willow felt her heart melt in his gaze.

"I loved that story, Eric, you really are a great catch. Glad to see Willow has someone like you." Ashley grinned, Eric felt his ears heat up with such praise.

"So, what do you do now, Eric?" Ashley asked him, Eric finished off his soda and placed the can in the trash.

"Well, I work on special cases for the law, I'm a cop for the special victims unit." Eric replied, Ashley looked at Eric with new found respect.

"I can't believe I never asked you this before, Willow, but what are you majoring in at our university?" Ashley asked her, her curiosity was in overdrive at this point, Eric and Willow were more than she thought they were.

"Well, I'm taking law as well, I'm almost through the motions. I'll have my bachelor's degree very soon. Before that, I was in the military, had to pay for school in some way." Willow explained, Ashley certainly thought that Eric and Willow were a powerful couple...The three of them went silent as they started to pay attention to the television, they watched as the events unfolded on the news...

Leon sprinted down the hall, he was being chased by several of the infected now, his heart pounded in his chest, his legs burned and begged him to stop, Leon ignored the burning in his legs and took out another cluster of the ravenous infected. He quickly reloaded his gun, then saw an opportunity to take out several of them at once, he let them follow him into a vacant room. Leon hurried out of the room, but before he closed the door, he threw in a hand grenade. Leon ran for cover, the explosion sent the door flying, splintered and broken in pieces all over the floor. Leon caught his breath as he leaned back on the wall, his forehead was dripping in sweat, his chest heaved as he took in large gulps of air.

He couldn't stay here for much longer, he was a sitting duck if he stayed in the same location for too long, he made his way towards the Oval Office, if there was one place that President could be, that was his best bet. Leon was given the White House blueprints, so thankfully he wasn't going to get lost, he found the way there and walked towards his destination. Leon noted how eerily quite it had gotten, that was not a good sign, but he pressed on to take out whatever was in his way. Leon found the door to the Oval Office, he held up his gun and cautiously opened the door. There, the President sat in his chair, with a man dressed in military fatigue pointing a gun to his head, people wrapped in ropes sat on the floor, trembling.

"Drop your gun, on the floor." Leon pointed the gun at the military man's head, the man simply gave him a dark smile and before Leon could react, someone had come up from behind him and placed a knife to his throat.

"This time, I brought a knife." A feminine voice hit his ear, Leon stood in horror. The person who had orchestrated this whole attack, the person holding him right now was someone that Leon had never wanted to see again...

"So, this was the business you were talking about...Ada." Leon felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he said her name, Ada pinned him to the floor and before Leon could even get a look at her face, Ada knocked him out with an injection of a sedating drug. The last thing that Leon felt, was the feeling of being dragged away...

[To Be Continued]


	10. Chapter 10

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Ten-Choice Words

Leon woke up with a pounding headache, his eyes couldn't focus on anything, everything looked smeared and blended together. He felt weightless, like he was hovering above the ground and to his horror as he continued to regain his focus he realised why. Leon was bound to the wall by his wrists by metal cuffs, Leon found what little strength he had to try to shake himself down. It was useless, Leon couldn't free himself, he wondered where in the hell he was. He tried to compile all of the things that happened before he got here. He went through all of the events of the day, suddenly, Ashley came to his mind. Leon wanted nothing more than to return home and hold her in his arms, his heart yearned for her. Leon then realised that he wasn't alone, the burly military man that with Ada walked up to him, he had the same dark grin on his face.

"Don't know why Ada would want to keep such a piece of shit like you around, but I guess you must be important in this mission. Oh well, looks like I have the privilege of breaking you down, pretty boy." He grinned like a maniac, Leon coughed and then looked him dead in eye. Leon smirked, he wasn't going to break easily, he was tougher than most.

"Well, if you're going to torture me, I may at least know the guy who's going to do the torturing. You at least, owe me that much." Leon's voice dripped in distain, the man laughed as he tapped his foot on the floor.

"I like you, kid. My name is Calvin, satisfied?" Calvin struck Leon across the chest with a club, Leon felt the air in his lungs vanish as he struggled to breath. Thankfully, Leon was able to catch his breath, with that Calvin exchanged his club for a new torture device.

"I can do this all day, Kennedy, so just cut the bullshit." Calvin took another swing at Leon with the butt of his pistol, Leon felt the metallic and salty taste of blood in his mouth, he spat at Calvin, who in turn threw a fist into Leon's stomach.

"I'm...Not easily broken, Calvin. You're going to have to do better then that, you bastard." Leon looked at him straight in the eye, Calvin crossed his arms, he tried another tactic.

"Well, looks like you're not going to break...Hmm, I wonder how easily I could break your little girlfriend? What was her name again? Ashley?" Calvin hit Leon where it hurt most, he had gotten the reaction he wanted.

Leon's heart pounded faster, he struggled more in the metal cuffs and felt pure rage wash over him.

"You touch her in anyway and I swear to god that.." Leon was about to continue on, when Calvin laughed in his face.

"I see, so that's your berserk button...Yeah, if I can't break you, I'll go after your girlfriend...I wonder what I should use against her, should I use my club, my pistol or my package? Yeah, I think she'll like the last option, by the looks of you, I'd say she's not that picky." Calvin's face twisted in a sickening grin, Leon seethed in anger as he kept on trying to free himself.

"You won't get the chance, I'll kill you before that happens. I'll hunt you down and tear you apart if you touch her. You hear me, you son of a bitch!" Leon's words only made Calvin laugh, Calvin was about to strike again, but Ada intervened.

"That's enough, Calvin. Let me have him for now, it's my turn." Ada sent Calvin back into the back room, Leon caught his breath and tried not to look at Ada in the eye.

"We really have to stop meeting like this, right Leon?" Ada walked casually up to him, she stroked his chin which made Leon cringe.

"Ada...What in hell are you up to? What were you thinking?!" Leon questioned her, Ada smiled and ran a hand down Leon's chest.

"Didn't you miss me, Leon?" Ada smiled seductively, Leon felt nothing, his feelings for Ada had long since vanished.

"Cut the act, Ada. What were you doing in the White House and who're are you working for?" Leon cut to the chase, Ada looked inside of his eyes and Leon had no choice but to look at her.

"So, you're all hot and heavy with the President's daughter aren't you? That's nice, must be a boon to your career." Ada trailed off, Leon rolled his eyes and let out a small chuckle.

"So, you think that's all that Ashley means to me? You're really twisted, you know that, Ada? What is your obsession with screwing around with my head? Some kind of fun game for you?" Leon couldn't stand to look at her, he had enough of it, he wanted out.

Ada felt the twinge of hurt feelings, Leon had really moved on with someone else and this news was hard to accept.

"Do you truly love her?" Ada asked him, short and simple, Leon closed his eyes and searched through his heart for the answer.

He remembered last night, the feeling of his heart pounding in his chest when Ashley simply smiled at him. The feeling of her trembling hands on his chest as they made love. The way he could talk to her about anything, the undeniable honesty that Ashley expressed, the passion that their kissed had. That inner strength that Ashley had as she coped with her nightmares and her unconditional love for him. All of this flooded in his mind as Leon felt a warmth fill his mind, Leon breathed in deeply and gave Ada his answer.

"Do I love her...More than anyone else in my life...I love her..." Leon looked at Ada, dead in the eye, with a bright smile on his face. Ada turned her back to him and hid her frown from him.

"Ada, it's over, whatever you and me had, it's done and gone. I'm sorry, but I chose the right choice, not the safe choice." Leon spoke with such unbridled honesty that it caught Ada off guard, she turned around and took out a tazer.

"You're getting soft, Leon." Ada jabbed the tazer into his stomach and shocked him, Leon let out a short scream of pain before he blacked out...

Back outside of the White House, Hunnigan felt a surge of panic when she attempted to contact Leon over and over.

"Leon, you're going to be the death of me. Respond, damn it! They don't pay me enough for this job." Hunnigan muttered out loud, she had no choice but to tell the media. She felt her hands tremble as she walked towards the news anchors, this was a public mission, not a private one. The whole country needed to know what was going on.

"It's my sad duty to report that we have lost contact with the agent that's inside the White House, but we will continue our attempts to reach him." Hunnigan spoke into several microphones, she then walked off to one of the vans and continued to try to make contact with Leon.

Ashley, Eric and Willow watched in horror as they heard the latest, Ashley felt like someone had just knocked the wind out of her. She looked down at the pendant Leon gave her for her birthday, she rose from the couch and put on her shoes.

"Ashley, what are you doing?" Willow asked her, Ashley simply gave her a look which Willow understood right away.

"I know it's insane, but I'm going back home, Leon needs me." Ashley opened the door, Willow dashed to the door and placed a hand on Ashley's arm.

"Ashley, you can't, you'll be killed!" Willow tried to stop her, Eric turned off the TV and walked to the doorway.

"Ashley, Willow's right. You won't do Leon any good by putting yourself in harm's way." Eric attempted to reason with her, Ashley stood next to Eric's car and waited for him to get in.

"Listen to me, Eric, you're a cop, am I right? Willow, you have military training as well. I have two bodyguards right here, so I'm not in any danger. I'm not going to leave Leon in that hellhole! He never let me down, so I don't want to let him down." Ashley explained, Eric and Willow considered it for what seemed forever, Ashley waited for their response.

"Alright, we'll go, but you'll have to stay here. That's our compromise." Willow crossed her arms, Ashley shook her head at that idea.

"You need me, without me, you're toast." Ashley added, Eric and Willow looked at her with puzzled expressions on their faces.

"Why is that?" Eric asked her, Ashley smiled and leaned on Eric's car.

"Simple...I know the White House from top to bottom, you don't. So, are we going or what?" Ashley opened the car door and sat in the back seat, Eric and Willow reluctantly got in and Eric started the car.

Ashley prayed that Leon was still alive...

[To Be Continued]


	11. Chapter 11

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Eleven-Reunion

Ashley, with Eric and Willow arrived at the White House after battling the large amount of traffic that accumulated on the roads, Ashley stepped out of the car and walked straight through the gates.

"Wait, you can't go through there, miss, go back to your car." A security guard stepped in front of her, Ashley looked up at him with a look of pure determination on her face, she ignored his demands and walked towards the front door.

The security guard realised why she looked so familiar, she was the President's daughter. Eric and Willow caught up to Ashley's fast paced walk.

"Ashley, are you sure you want to go in there?" Willow tried once again to coerce her into not going inside, Ashley looked at Willow with an angry look on her face as she opened the door.

"Someone came to my house, uninvited and unwanted. It's time to show them the door." Ashley couldn't care less if she was throwing herself in danger, she wanted to rescue Leon, just like he rescued her. Even though she was shaking in her boots, she didn't want to leave Leon alone to die.

Ashley ran as fast as she could down the halls with Eric and Willow, she desperately searched for clues to indicate Leon's whereabouts, she turned a corner and saw the room that Leon had blown out earlier. Ashley followed the footprints that Leon had left, Willow looked inside the hollowed out room, she was left in awe in how Leon went about it.

"He threw a hand grenade in the room and made sure that the entire explosion was isolated in just one place...Impressive." Willow then left the doorway and followed Eric and Ashley, Ashley looked back and smiled.

"Leon is the best at what he does, I'm not surprised. He wanted to make sure that he didn't cause any other casualties." Ashley walked towards the Oval Office, following the footprints, Eric spotted a case on the floor and tapped both of the girl's shoulders. The case had a label on the top of it, the sticker had the name Leon written on it! Ashley felt some relief come over her as she opened it up, Eric helped himself to a Matilda and Willow extracted a Blacktail from the case as well. Ashley looked through the case and picked out some medical supplies, she placed them in Leon's coat that she was wearing, Ashley did something that surprised Willow and Eric, she pulled out a Punisher.

"Ash, sweetie, are you sure that you want to use that? I don't think it would be wise..." Willow placed a hand on Ashley's shoulder, Ashley walked away from her and turned around to face her.

"If I end up alone, I want to be able to defend myself. Is that enough justification?" Ashley replied shortly, Willow dropped the subject, no matter what she would say, it wouldn't stop her. The three of them heard the sound of voices in the Oval Office, slowly Eric opened the door and they saw all of people that weren't infected were tied up on the floor. Ashley felt a wave of relief wash over when she saw that her father was among them, she hurried to his side and untied him.

"Ashley, what in the world are you doing here, get out of here, you need to get to safety!" President Graham tried to convince Ashley to escape, Ashley shook her head.

"I'm not leaving without Leon, he comes first. We've secured a safe escape from here, now go!" Ashley ordered her father, President Graham was a little taken aback by how forceful and authoritative Ashley was being.

"This Leon must mean a lot to you...Alright, I'll get them to safety." President Graham helped the people out into the hallway, Ashley handed him a shotgun to protect himself and the others.

"They took Leon downstairs into the basement, he was dragged away by a guy dressed in military fatigue and a woman. I managed to get the name of the woman, her name is Ada." President Graham explained, Ashley's blood ran cold when she heard that name, she attempted to regain her composure, but she couldn't help but feel her heart break.

"Alright, you have to get out of here, don't waste anymore time." Ashley motioned him to leave, before he did, Ashley hugged him tightly and sent him off with some more supplies.

Ashley, Eric and Willow dashed downstairs and ran down a dark hallway. They soon realised that they weren't alone as several of the infected hunted for their blood, Eric shot one down at a time, Willow fired at one that had snuck up behind Eric. The infected clustered around them, Eric and Willow pushed Ashley away from them. Ashley looked at them with a confused expression on her face, Eric and Willow smiled at her and continued to take down the infected.

"Ashley, we'll handle things here, we'll meet you later with Leon!" Eric shouted, Ashley ran down the hallway, feeling her heart pound in her chest and her feet ache in her heels. Five of the infected suddenly jumped out at her, Ashley screamed, but she still managed to shoot one of them in the leg. Ashley took another shot, this time she had shot him in the chest. Ashley took the chance to make a run for it, she saw a door on the right and she ran inside as soon as she turned the handle.

Ashley could hardly see anything in front her, the whole room was almost completely dark, Ashley caught her breath and her eyes focused on an another door that let cracks of light through the room. Ashley opened the door slowly, she had no idea what was beyond here, she treaded lightly onward. Ashley looked below her, there, hanging on the wall was Leon! Ashley's first instinct was to run down and get him out of there, but she also caught a glance at the burly military man. He had beaten Leon badly, his clothes were ripped in several places and his body bore several open wounds.

"Well, looks like you're about to give out on me, Kennedy. It's too bad, because breaking you has been very satisfying. Just give it up, give up and die." Calvin sneered, Leon coughed and looked up and shook his head.

"There's no way...In hell, that I'm dying here...I've too much to live for...I love her too much to leave her now." Leon managed to summon up enough strength to retaliate, Ashley felt her heart rended asunder by his words, he must of meant Ada...

'Well, looks like our time together is up. Goodbye, Kennedy." Calvin was about to shoot Leon in the chest, when Leon heard a shot, in one quick moment, Calvin was shot in the back.

"Oh...Shit." Calvin fell to the floor, Leon looked up and couldn't believe what he saw, Ashley with her arm raised, holding a smoking gun. Ashley hurried over to his side, Leon couldn't help but smile as she released him from the cuffs. Ashley quickly opened up the first aid kit that she had brought with her and placed gauze on his chest.

"Ashley, what in the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay at my place." Leon shuddered as she placed rubbing alcohol on his injuries, Ashley didn't look him in the eye, she was too broken hearted.

"I'm sorry, when Hunnigan told the news anchor that they had lost contact with you, I couldn't leave you down here just to die. I couldn't forgive myself if I did nothing. So that's why I'm here...Even if it turns out, that it's not me you really want." Ashley's voice trailed off, Leon was taken aback by the last part.

"What do you mean, Ashley?" Leon asked her, Ashley then gazed at him, with tears streaming down her face.

"I mean, I heard that Ada had come and...You just said that you loved her too much to leave her..." Ashley struggled to speak, Leon placed a hand on her chin and painfully leaned forward, he kissed her softly.

"Ash...You know why I held on so long, while that bastard tortured me? It was because I wanted to see you again, believe me...When I said that I love her too much to leave her now, I was talking about you...I love you sweetheart." Leon slowly rose to his feet, Ashley felt a smile grow on her face as she handed Leon his TMP.

"Let's get out of here, Willow and Eric must be getting tired of dealing with those fiends." Ashley helped Leon walk out of the boiler that had been used for a torture chamber. Out of the darkness, stood Ada, her arms crossed against her chest.

"Well, I underestimated how much she cares about him..." Ada muttered out loud.

Ashley and Leon joined Willow and Eric, the four of them handled the rest of the infected. Willow was bruised all over, Eric nursed a gash on his arm, Leon reached for his communicator and contacted Hunnigan.

"Thank god you're okay, Leon, I'll tell the reporters that the threat has been neutralized. Great job, all of you." Hunnigan jogged over to the reporters about the success of the mission, Leon turned off his communicator and put it in his pocket.

Ashley helped Leon, Eric and Willow leave the White House discreetly, not to let their identities come into question by the media, she knew how ravenous they could be. The four of them left to return to Leon's place, in order to recover from the hell that they had just gone through, Ashley felt Leon's body lean towards hers.

"I'm proud of you, sweetheart...You were terrific." Leon kissed her on her mouth, long and deep, Ashley held his hand and felt an overwhelming sense of pride fill her heart.

[To Be Continued]


	12. Chapter 12

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Twelve-Paying Respects

Two weeks after the attack on the White House, there was a funeral service for all the deceased, Ashley sat in her room with the light off. Today was completely rough, she was dressed in a very drab black dress, it perfectly suited her mood as she grabbed her coat before she walked out her door. Ashley cursed at how beautiful the weather was, she just wanted to go back to her bed and sleep the day away. Even though they couldn't be cured, they were still people that she saw everyday, they were still the people that served her family and she had a hand in killing them. Ashley's head throbbed with a wicked combination of guilt and grief.

Ashley walked pass several of the deceased surviving family members, she felt so small, so ashamed at what she had done. Her hands shook in her pockets, she couldn't take it anymore, she had to get out of here. Ashley slowly started to run down the hallway, she ran past several people, until she reached the kitchen. Ashley sat down by the table, put her head down on the counter and sobbed uncontrollably. Ashley's shoulders shook as she wailed, her hot tears blended with her mascara as it ran down her face.

Leon walked into Ashley's room, she wasn't there, he walked up to a maid.

"I'm looking for Ashley, where can I find her?" Leon asked her, the maid sighed and found it hard to look him in the eye.

"We saw her run towards the kitchen, I'm sure that you'll be able to find her there." The maid replied, Leon smiled in thanks and walked towards the kitchen. As Leon got closer, he could hear the sound of Ashley sobbing, he opened the door and when he saw her crying, his heart broke.

Ashley heard someone walking towards her, she looked up and saw that it was Leon, Ashley caught her breath and ran into his arms. Leon held her close to him, he kissed the top of her head and rubbed her shoulders.

"Sweetheart...It's okay...Calm down." Leon spoke into her ear, he felt her hands grasp onto his shirt, slowly her sobs subsided and she relaxed in his arms.

"I...I'm a murderer, Leon. I killed innocent people, I can't make eye contact with anyone, it hurts too much." Ashley murmured into his chest, Leon quickly pulled away from her and shook his head.

"Ashley...We couldn't do anything for them, they were infected and there was no way to stop the spread of the virus after they contracted it. I know how it feels, to feel utterly powerless. To know that no matter what you do, nothing can reverse what has already happened. To be forced into killing people that didn't deserve it, Ashley, you're no murderer." Leon held onto her hand tightly, Ashley had never heard Leon's voice waver like that, he pulled her close to him and dried her tears with his hand.

"I want to go to your place, I don't like being here anymore..." Ashley whispered as she kissed him on the mouth, Leon nodded and escorted Ashley to his car. For the entire car ride to Leon's, the two of them didn't speak a word, they were too busy reflecting on what happened, when Leon pulled up to his place Ashley felt slightly relieved. Leon unlocked the door and helped Ashley inside, she sat down on the couch and focused her attention on the powered off TV.

"Here, have a glass of water, might make you feel better." Leon offered it to her, Ashley took the glass and slowly sipped from it, Leon sat down next to her and brought her close to him.

The two of them sat in a prolonged silence, Leon let Ashley cry when she felt like crying, he let her rage when she wanted to. Leon didn't want to admit it, but Ashley Graham had changed him. Before he met her, he was jaded, he wondered if he made the right choice in joining the government as a special agent for the longest time. When he rescued Ashley in Spain, he thought that she just had a small time crush on him, but he soon found out that those feelings ran deeper than he could have ever imagined. Ashley didn't care about his past and his status, she didn't keep any secrets from him and most of all, she had broken through all of his defences and exposed who he was at his core. Leon wanted nothing more than to make her smile again, but he knew that would take some time.

Ashley had long since dozed off in his arms, Leon lifted her off the couch and placed her on his bed. He pulled the blankets over her, she looked so fragile, sleeping in his bed. Leon breathed deeply, he was exhausted. Leon was still recovering from the injuries that he had taken in the White House incident, his body had a few bruises and he needed to get stitches on his arms. He was thankful to be alive, he was eternally grateful to Ashley, for risking her life to save him. He lay down on his couch, Leon looked up at the ceiling and watched his ceiling fan rotate slowly.

Leon turned on the TV, he wanted to rest his head with some trashy TV shows, he had earned a night of just watching TV. Leon lost himself in the pursuit of channel hopping, he went from channel to channel, not really caring what he was watching. All he wanted was a distraction from the daily grind of work, slowly Leon was overcome with exhaustion, it had been a very stressful month, dealing with a psycho like Calvin wasn't pleasant in the slightest. Seeing Ada left a lot to be desired, he was relieved that her sudden appearance didn't jeopardize his new relationship with Ashley. Leon was finally in a good place, he would be damned if something or someone got in the way of that happiness. No one was going to stop him from being with the woman he loved, no one would dare.

Leon turned off the TV after getting bored looking around for something to watch, he just relaxed casually on the couch, relishing in the fact that nothing was going to interrupt the peace and quiet that had settled in his house. Leon yawned, he couldn't fight the urge to sleep anymore, he fell asleep almost instantly, knowing that he was in a safe place and that Ashley was safe and sound...

Leon woke up to the sound of his phone ringing, his eyes focused on the small screen, he saw that Hunnigan was calling him.

"Leon here, what do you need Hunnigan?" Leon sat up, he rubbed his forehead and leaned up against the couch.

"Leon, I have a new mission for you." Hunnigan answered him, Leon shook his head and rolled his eyes, he wished that someone else could answer the call every once in a while.

"What's the mission?" Leon requested the itinerary of the mission, Hunnigan gave him the details in an e-mail and Leon went towards his computer. Leon looked it over and grinned, this was a mission that he could certainly handle...

[To Be Concluded]


	13. Chapter 13

Resident Evil Four

LeonxAshley

[Safe Choice()Leon

Ashley Right Choice]

Part Thirteen-Epilogue

[Two Years Later]

Leon sat by his desk, he kept looking at the clock on the wall, he wanted nothing more than to get out of here. Hunnigan looked at him and tried not to giggle, Leon looked up at her and she walked towards him.

"Leon, get out of here, I know what you want to do." Hunnigan let him go early, Leon smiled at her and got up from his seat. Leon grabbed his coat and headed out the door, he turned back to face her.

"See you on Monday, Hunnigan." Leon walked out the front door and walked towards his car.

Leon pulled up to his place, he walked through the front door and Ashley was there waiting for him. Ashley turned off the TV right away and ran into his arms, Leon held onto her and kissed the top of her head. Leon walked into his kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge.

"So, how was your day, Leon?" Ashley asked him, Leon sat down on the couch and got closer to her.

"Like serving time in jail, you want to get out of there as soon as possible...How did your day go?" Leon took a sip from his water bottle, Ashley reached over and took her notebook off the table, she went down the list of things she had on her schedule.

"Well, I had a good day at work, the people that I'm working with are terrific, plus I like what I do. Being a social worker is a great thing, you get to help people who really need it." Ashley felt very proud of herself, Leon pulled her close and kissed her, Ashley dropped her notebook and wrapped her arms around him. Leon left her lips and kissed her neck, leaving small marks on her neck.

"Sweetheart, I've got a surprise for you...C'mon, let's get in my car, we're going for a drive." Leon took her by the hand, Ashley hopped towards his car and opened the passenger door.

"Leon, where are we going?" Ashley looked up at him, Leon simply smiled and didn't say anything, Ashley felt a little anxious. Where was he taking her and why, these two questions left her pondering the whole car trip. They finally pulled into a building that had seen better days, Ashley gave Leon a look of pure confusion, but she followed him anyway.

"I scheduled a target practice session here, it's an out of the way structure that we use for rookie cops looking to get their badges. Let's go inside, no one else is here today. So we'll have it all to ourselves." Leon took out a small case of guns from the trunk of his car.

Leon helped Ashley inside, he flipped the light switch next to the door and took out a shotgun. Ashley stared at the wall to the right of her, there were cardboard cut-outs of criminals lined up at different distances, Leon walked up to her and gauged the right distance for Ashley to start off at.

"Ashley, when you wanted me to teach you how to fire a gun properly, I didn't think you were serious, but then I remembered how you handled yourself during the White House incident..." Leon remembered the shot that killed Calvin, it was bang on, Ashley hit the target straight on, but she was still very inexperienced.

"Well, I wanted to learn how to defend myself, if ever there was a situation like that again." Ashley turned her attention to the targets, Leon placed a hand on her shoulder and the way he looked at her showed that he meant business, this was Officer Leon talking.

"Ashley, the shots that you got in that day, weren't fueled by experience, they were shots fueled by adrenaline and fear. You just got extremely lucky." Leon told her without holding back, Ashley nodded and smiled, Leon wasn't being cold, he was just being honest. Having lived with him for the past year helped her understand the way Leon's mind worked, Ashley still couldn't believe that at the end of her father's term in office that Leon asked her to move in, she didn't hesitate at all.

"By the way, how in the hell did you get into the White House that day anyway? Hunnigan said that security was almost air tight." Leon asked, Ashley couldn't help but laugh about it as she thought back to that moment.

"Well, I was initially stopped at the gate, but I didn't back down, I just gave the guy a look and walked in anyway, he was about to stop me when Willow and Eric explained who they were. So I guess they were fine with letting me go in, although, my father must have given them hell for it afterwards." Ashley explained, Leon loaded up the shotgun with blanks and handed it to Ashley.

"Now, let's get started. I want you to take out the felon on the right, think you can make a shot to his head?" Leon challenged her, Ashley got into position and aimed the gun at the felon. Leon walked up behind her and helped her to position her arms to the right height for the shot, Ashley felt her heart rate increase as she tightened her grip on the handle.

"Loosen your grip, hold it gently...Calm down...Remember to breath slowly..." Leon's voice hit her ear, Ashley leaned back on his chest and pulled on the trigger, Leon's arms stroked hers as he kissed the back of her neck. Ashley felt chills go up her spine, Leon looked at the target as his hands slid from her arms and down her body.

Ashley turned around, the shotgun fell on the floor with a clatter, but the two of them didn't seem to notice. Leon leaned down and slowly took her mouth in his, Ashley's arms instinctually went around his neck. Leon turned off all his inhibitions as his hands fell on Ashley's hips, her hands ran up and down his back. Leon groaned as he pulled away from her, the two of them stood there, breathing heavily and the heat between them was growing. Leon lifted Ashley and brought her to a table, Ashley in turn pulled him in for another passionate kiss.

"Leon..." Ashley sighed, Leon placed his hands on the table and breathed in deeply.

"Sweetheart?" Leon gazed into her eyes tenderly, he tried restrain himself from going on any further until Ashley gave him the go ahead.

"I want you..." Ashley kissed his left bicep, Leon pressed his body up close to hers and his hands slowly went up into her shirt, his mouth fell back on hers as he felt his arousal build. His heart rate increased sharply when he felt Ashley's hands unbuttoning his shirt, he took his shirt from her hands and threw it across the room.

Ashley leaned back on the table and Leon pulled up her skirt, Ashley felt her heart pound in her throat as Leon's skilled hands massaged her thighs. He always took great care in making sure that she was comfortable, he was good at that and she loved every single minute touch that he gave her.

Leon slowly removed the last obstacle that stood in his way, he unzipped his jeans and pushed his manhood slowly inside.

The room echoed with the sounds of feverish love making, the two of them, lost in the pursuit of satisfying their hunger.

"I love you...Leon....So much." Ashley moaned in his ear, Leon kissed Ashley roughly as his libido stripped away any and all reason from his mind. Leon gave one final thrust as he felt the first waves of climax radiate through his body, Ashley's hands dug into his shoulders as she she let out a euphoric sob of passion. Leon felt the energy that had built up, leave his body in small shudders, he stroked Ashley's face and kissed her tenderly. Leon doubled over and tried not to collapse on Ashley, his arms draped over her shoulders.

"Love you, sweetheart..." Leon was out of breath, Ashley trembled underneath him, in a daze of satisfaction and completion. She felt so safe in his arms, she felt his arms tighten around her. Their hearts were beating at the same time, Leon finally had caught his breath and looked at the cardboard felon that had fallen victim to Ashley.

"Right on target, Ash, right on target." Leon smiled deeply, Ashley looked at the cut-out, she had clearly missed.

"I didn't hit the target, Leon, I was off by a few inches." Ashley corrected him, but Leon shook his head and pointed to his heart.

"Really now..? I think I could improve my aim, don't you?" Ashley grinned, Leon pulled her closer to him and kissed her neck, feeling the heat grow between them again.

"No, you got the right man, you hit the target dead on." Leon smirked in confidence, Ashley giggled softly and placed her finger on his chest. The two of them embarked on another round of target practice.

The End


End file.
